Fallen Knight
by Tyramir
Summary: After the defeat of Ultimecia, Squall begins to act strangely, alienating everyone close to him. Could he just be reverting to old ways, or is there a more sinister element at work? Currently Discontinued
1. The Sickness

Author's Note:

Reno: Hold on. Time out. Tyramir said he was out for the weekend.

Reeve: Yeah. So?

Reno: So what's he doing writing another chapter?

Reeve: It's cool, it's cool. It's for a FF8 fic he's doing.

Reno: FF8?? I thought he hated that game!

Reeve: With the fury of a thousand suns.

Reno: Woah. And he's doing a fic on it. This oughta be interesting.

Reeve: Indeed. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy or any of its characters. Enjoy.

Fallen Knight

Chapter One

The Sickness

Stars. How wonderously beautiful these pinpricks of light in a curtain of black can be. So simple, so small, so elegant, with the power to create galaxies and planets and lives, and just as easily smash those lives to pieces.

The words came to Squall Leonhart as he stared up at them, for the first time truly remarking on their beauty. A genuine smile spread on his normally stoic face, erasing the normal grumpy expression. He looked over to Rinoa, and saw her pointing up, a mischevious grin on her face, the same grin that she had given him so long ago at a similar party.

His heart warmed at the sight of her. After having been stuck in that time warp after Ultemicia's defeat, he had been certain that he would never see her again. Lost, and without hope, he had wandered a desert landscape of his own mind's making. He would never have escaped if not for this beautiful girl who, for some reason, wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

With all the strength his body could muster, he took a step toward her. She stepped in turn, mimicking his action. He moved a little closer, and she did as well. When they were within arm's reach of each other, pure instinct took over, chasing away the nervous feeling in Squall's stomach. He reached over to Rinoa, took her in his arms, and kissed her. It ws tenuous and nervous at first, but as he lost control, it became more aggressive, more needy. He felt her respond, and he threw his whole self, his very being, into the kiss, lost in what he felt for her.

He would have been happy to stay in that moment forever.

"WOO HOO!" came an excited shout.

He abruptly broke away, jumping back and looking around, defensive in his stance, looking for the interloper. His eyes caught the doorway leading out of the balcony and into the Garden Quad. He winced. It would have been bad enough if Selphie had caught him by herself. It would have been downright awful if Irvine was beside her. But there Selphie stood, video camera in hand, alongside Irvine, Quistis, and Nida. He blushed, embarrassed at having been caught displaying emotion so openly, and turned his back on them.

"Oh come on, Squall!" Selphie called, "You were doing so good, too!"

Irvine followed up, "Yeah, c'mon. I'm a great kisser, and I know a hero in the department when I see one. It'd be a shame not to follow that one up!"

"Please, guys?" Rinoa said. "We're trying to have a moment here. I think he'd rather we be alone for it?"

"Come on, let's go." Nida said. He always had good sense. Squall amended in his mind not to kill him along with the others. Well, not kill. But he certainly was going to punch at least Irvine later.

He heard the group turn away, and Rinoa close the glass doors to the balcony behind them. After a moment, he heard the click of the lock, and the rustling of leaves as Rinoa moved the potted plants in front of the doors. Squall suspected that the gang was still waiting at the windows, hoping for a peek. Had they no lives of their own? At the very least, Irvine should be trying to get together with Selphie. Persistence was the only real weapon in his arsenal.

"Sorry, about that, Squall. I have to admit, though, that they're right. That was a really good kiss."

Was she making fun of him? "Whatever."

She plopped down on the railing, leaning lazily, and smiled. "You always do that. You get a compliment, so you scrunch up your face and get all grouchy and say 'whatever.' We know you care, Squall. Stop pretending you don't. And don't you dare say--"

"Whatever." This time he had a smile on his face as he said it. There was just something about this girl that brought that out in him.

She returned his smile and leaned against him, still loosely holding onto the rail. She looked down nervously.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Remember the last time I was up here on the Quad?"

He almost answered 'no', but then remembered her near fall, followed by his rescue of her, picking her up and taking her to safety in a Galbadia flight carry armor. If not for him, she would have died. "Yeah, I remember."

"Makes me shiver every time. But I guess I don't need to worry, huh? I have my knight to always rescue me."

He nodded, a silly grin on his face. Looking over the edge of Garden and at the water, he frowned. It didn't look so far down to the water. Maybe if someone fell they would...

A sudden wave of vertigo hit him, and he pitched forward. He grasped for the rail but couldn't hold onto it. Two hands caught him, tugging him up, but barely having the strength to even hold him up.

"Squall!" Rinoa called.

He reached for the rail again, but slipped. His vision swam, and he could barely tell which direction was which, much less make a successful attempt at moving himself up. He nearly vomited.

"Irvine! Zell! Someone!" he heard Rinoa cry.

He heard glass breaking. Someone must have hit the balcony doors to get outside. A few seconds later, two pairs of hands grabbed onto him and pulled him up. When Squall hit the floor of the balcony, he threw up the contents of his stomach.

"Oh, gross!" That sounded like Zell. His head was too fuddled to be able to concentrate on anything but the queasiness of his stomach.

"Barf city! What did Squall eat?" Most definitely Selphie. The world stopped spinning at high speed, and he was beginning to regain focus.

Irvine chuckled, "Hopefully not the hot dogs, or Zell's gonna be sick for the next month."

"That's not funny," Rinoa said. "Squall could have died. Can someone find Dr. Kadowaki?"

Squall stood up and numbly shook his head. "I'm okay. I was just dizzy for a second."

"No, you're not." Quistis stated, "You need to see Doctor Kadowaki immediately. I'll go get her, you stay here."

"I'm fine!" Squall roared. Everyone jumped back, surprised at the open display of anger. He looked down at his coat, and noted the vomit stains and frowned. That would have to be cleaned. "I'm going to my room. Leave me alone."

"I'll come with you," Rinoa said.

"No!" She jumped back, startled. He shook his head, "I just need to alone for a while. Just... leave me alone."

He walked away, barely managing a straight line. He could feel the incredulous stares of everyone on the balcony on him. When he entered the main party area, he shook his head in disgust. If they would only leave him alone.

He noted people staring at him inside the Quad as well, and kept moving. Didn't these people have something else to do? He quickened his pace and made sure not to miss a single step. When he made it to his room, he allowed himself to falter. The sense of vertigo returned, and he tripped over his own feet. He felt like throwing up again. He weakly kicked at the door and missed. After a few attempts with his foot, he finally managed to shut it.

The SeeD crawled to his bed, feeling more sick than he ever had in his life. He hadn't expected the symptoms to be like this, not at all. He hadn't expected this at all. Maybe it had nothing to do with...?

Of course it did. He should never have made that deal.

Exhausted, and too sick to do anythign else, Squall passed out on his bed without even removing his vomit stained clothing.

Author's Note:

If you've read my "Searched For the Promised One" fic, you may notice that it starts off exactly, word for word, the way this one does. I was feeling uninspired, unoriginal, and decided on starting a tradition. I generally like the opening passage of SFtPO, even if it is a bit over-dramatic, but what the heck? I'm allowed to be every once in a while.


	2. Discussions Over Hot Dogs

Author's Note:

Reno: And we're back for another exciting chapter of "Fallen Knight".

Reeve: Wait. Hold on a minute.

Reno: What?

Reeve: We're Final Fantasy SEVEN characters, why are we doing the disclaimer for a FF8 fic?

Reno: Because I'm so damn sexy?

Reeve: ... Right.

Reno: Seriously. I am.

Reeve: Okey dokey then. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy or any of its characters.

::Reno flexes::

Reeve: Okay, seriously. Just stop. Or I'll hit you.

Chapter Two  
Discussions Over Hot Dogs

Zell carried his hot dog littered tray over to what was affectionately called 'the command table' in the cafeteria. It was the table reserved for Squall, himself, Rinoa, Quistis, and Selphie. Irvine frequently invited himself to it, despite the lack of invitation to him by Squall, and Cid, Nida and Xu were all also known to drop by. The young martial artist sat pulled out a chair, jumped over it, and plopped down, setting his tray down.

He looked up at Rinoa and Quistis, who were both mulling over their food. Selphie and Squall were nowhere in sight. Selphie was probably hiding from Irvine's affections.

"Where's Squall?" he asked, stuffing a hot dog in his mouth.

"Can you be any less polite, Zell?" Quistis asked.

"What?" he said defensively between bites. "I just wanna know where he is."

Quistis leaned over and gently pushed Zell's mouth shut. He frowned, shrugged, and swallowed, then followed it up with another bite of his hot dog.

"He's in bed," Rinoa answered, seeming glum.

"He's still sick?" the young man asked, still chewing on his hot dog. "Didn't you guys send the doc to go see him?"

Rinoa answered, "Yeah, but Doctor Kadowaki said there was nothing wrong with him. She thinks he may have just looked over the railing and got dizzy, that maybe he doesn't respond well to heights."

Quistis firmly shook her head. "I've seen Squall in action. Heights have never bothered him in the past. Is Kadowaki sure that this might not be some sort of side effect from the battle with Ultemicia, or the time compression, or even his being lost in the time warp?"

"She said not to rule it out, but there was nothing supporting it. There's simply nothing wrong with him according to what tests he'll let her do."

The blond instructor gave Rinoa a quizzical look. "Tests he'll let her do?"

"He barely even let Kadowaki near him. I thought he was going to throw a fit. He seemed really upset that I had brought the doctor into this. I've never seen him so..."

"Angry?" Zell supplied.

"Emotional."

"Huh. Maybe he just doesn't like doctors. I mean, the only times he's really talked to Doc Kadowaki was... when Seifer gave him that scar. Or when you were in that coma. I guess it kinda makes sense that he doesn't like the doc too much. She always seems to bring him bad news."

"Zell may be right," Quistis said with an inclination of her head.

The martial artist nodded to himself, pleased with his deduction and that Quistis had agreed with him. He stuffed an entire hot dog into his mouth. The blond girl gave him a disgusted look, and he smiled at her. He couldn't help it. These hot dogs were good.

The sound of a chair scraping brought Zell out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Irvine pulling up a chair. The sharpshooter's forehead was covered in sweat, and he had a bewildered expression on his face as he sat down.

"What's up?" Zell asked, his mouth still full.

"That's disgusting, man. Swallow before you talk," Irvine said.

"Sorry," he apologized after he had swallowed. "So, what's got you all riled up?"

"I just finished up in the training area, showing off my impressive skills to the ladies, but Squall was in there, and he was showing me up. It was so unfair."

"Squall was up?" Rinoa asked, standing up.

"Yeah. And he was being a real ass. He was fighting this T-Rexaur and didn't look to be doing so good, so I swooped into the rescue, pumped a few shells into that baddie, and saved the day. And you know what he said in way of thanks? 'Piss off, Kinneas.'"

Zell shrugged. "That's just Squall."

"No," Quistis said. "It doesn't match his attitude. Squall doesn't like being helped, but when it's in combat, he sees the need for it at times. He doesn't like to depend on it, but he's willing to accept it."

"How do you know?"

"I used to be the expert Squall observer."

Zell stuffed another hot dog in his mouth. "Oh right."

"He should be in bed," Rinoa stated. "After last night, and the way he acted this morning..."

Quistis raised an eyebrow as Rinoa. "This morning? What did he do this morning?"

"A new development in the Squall story?" Irvine asked. "Is Rinoa now single, ready for me to make my move? Ow!"

Zell felt like kicking Irvine a second time for that comment, but figured it only deserved the one for now. He really had to restrain himself, though.

"He just... this morning, when I went to go check on him... he was so distant. Like he wanted nothing to do with me, or anyone else. But most of all me. He just said... he... it was personal. He was just..."

"Mean?" Irvine said

. "Yeah. Not like Squall at all."

"I don't see how that's any different from the normal Squall. Sure, he can be a good guy sometimes, but he can be awfully cold-hearted at times, too."

"Nah," Zell said. "Squall's not mean. He's just distant. Not all there, or part of the group, really. He's just... uh... well, he's... uh..."

"A loner," Quistis supplied. "He's afraid of being left alone, so he pushes everyone away ahead of time so he never really gets attached. That may just be what he's doing now. I thought he had gotten over it with the return of sis, but I guess not."

"Yeah, that's it."

"I don't know..." Rinoa said. "I'm not sure that he wants me..."

Quistis shook her head. "He wants to be with you, and that's why he's pushing you away. It's nothing wrong with you, and it's not entirely him, either. He's afraid. You just have to make sure that he has nothing to be afraid of. He's your Knight, but you have to remember that guidance and protection runs both ways."

Rinoa smiled weakly and sat down. "I'll remember that. I think I'll go talk to him. Irvine, you said he was in the training center?"

The cowboy nodded. The Sorceress stood up, a sudden light in her eyes. "I'm going to find Squall, and I'm going to clear this whole thing up. Even if I have to beat it into him."

Rinoa straightened herself up and began to walk away. Zell called, "Hey, if you're gonna do that, can I have your hot dogs?"

Author's Note:

Fixed up an error pointed out to me by Jaysinya (Thank you), and cleared up a few html errors. Next chapter should be up in a day or so. 


	3. Combat Grounds

Author's Note:

Reno: Holy crap!

Reeve: What?

Reno: I think I just got killed off in Search For the Promised One!

Reeve: What makes you think that?

Reno: He left it up to the audience to decide!

Reeve: Reeeeeaaaaally now? Let me go send Tyramir an e-mail then.

Reno: He specifically stated that I'll still be in the disclaimers.

Reeve: Dammit!

Reno: Haha.

Reeve: Oh, one day, I'll get you. And when I do...

Reno: Sephiroth will hit the planet with a big chunk of rock?

Reeve: ... Pretty much, yeah.

Reno: So, you gonna say it?

Reeve: Sure. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to any Final Fantasy characters.

Chapter Three

Combat Grounds

Esthar, technological wonder city of the world, home of the world's presumed oldest and most sophisticated culture in the entire world, a place filled with scholars and philosophers, awe inspiring leaders and warriors, was a hive of chaos. What was once a home of peace and advancement was now a battleground for survival. In just a short time, Esthar had turned into a place of nightmares.

Kiros, a katal in each hand, remarked all of this as he made his morning sweep. In the near twenty years he had lived here, working with the people after the wake of Adel, the Galbadian had come to love this xenophobic land he has come to call home. And now the Lunar Cry threatened to destroy it.

Remembering fondly on his short time in Winhill, Kiros was amazed at how much these patrols to kill monsters around Esthar was like the patrols he and Laguna once did in that small village. He had thought the whole idea of being the protector to a village against vicious monsters was kind of cute and almost romantic then. Now, being one of the few able-bodied men capable of fighting off much more powerful monsters, Kiros reflected that the romance of the whole situation was lost on him.

Ward seemed to enjoy it, but Ward had a group of soldiers with him who knew what they were doing. Kiros was stuck with a bunch of rookies with bad aim. He always wondered what would take him out. The enemy, or friendly fire.

He walked calmly down one of Esthar's highways, once populated with pedestrians and hover cars, now only littered with fleeing people, broken wreckage, and monsters. It was like this everywhere. Adel's and Ultemicia's defeat had changed nothing.

A roar filled the air, and Kiros' head came up. He recognized that sound. His whole body ached, tingled with a feeling that he both loved and hated. Battle. He wanted to throw himself into combat, spinning with his blades, inflicting wounds. He didn't like the violence, but he loved the excitement, the uncertainty, the rush of blood.

And the owner of that roar was going to provide him with all of that. He had never before faced a Behemoth, but he recognized the sound of one, and had heard all of the stories. Supposedly they were unstoppable brutes, forces of such unbelievably strength, and wielders of great magic. Stories said that nothing living matched them for sheer brawn, and little measured up to their magic, but they were said to be stupid, and other than while at a charge, they were slow. Kiros smiled. Just how he liked his opponents.

He turned to face his squad of five men. "All right. This is how it's gonna go. There's a Behemoth out there. This is going to be our primary target. I'll come at it from the front, distracting it. While its attention is focused on me, I'll attempt to get under it for a few slices at its chest area, then move to harry its flanks. It will more than likely turn to face me. But since Behemoths are said to have slow turning rates, will more than likely be unable to reach me. I'll need some backup fire, though. So while it's turning, I want all of you to commence firing on it. Keep your distance, and watch your shots. Its a big target, but I don't want you hitting me by accident. I'll try to keep the Behemoth between myself and your fire, but be careful anyway. Is this understood?"

"Yes, sir!" came the answer.

"Good." He smiled, a reassuring grin, meant to bolster their confidence. With those silly helmets they wore, though, Kiros wasn't sure if they smiled back.

When Kiros turned back to face the road ahead of him, he saw it. Far away, but now charging fast, was a great purple shape in the distance. And approaching very quickly. Kiros readied his katals and focused on the incoming brute.

His eyes widened and he felt himself draw in a breath. It wasn't going to stop. It intended th charge right through them.

"Move!"

He jumped to the side, holding out both his katals. As the Behemoth charged by, the sound of tearing flesh filled the air as the blades bit into its side. The beast cried out in pain, but it didn't stop moving. Kiros swore and felt his heart leap in his chest as the Behemoth bowled three of his men over, stampeding them into the ground, crushing them. The other two managed to jump aside just in time.

Kiros' blood began to boil, and he felt the Blood Pain coming on, a private rage that he usually called forth to help him in battle. But this time, it came on its own. Instantly he was on the Behemoth's back, slashing and slicing, surgically tearing chunks out of the monster's back, all in a cold fury that had completely taken over his body.

The Behemoth screamed in pain and moved about, shaking, trying to dislodge its enemy. But Kiros' grace and agility, despite his age, were unparalleled. He danced across the sea of rippling muscle, all the while never pausing from the task of cutting the beast.

Gunfire sounded as the remaining two soldier opened fire and hailed the monster with bullets. With a final roar, it stood up on its two hind legs, dislodging Kiros. A wave of magical energy surrounded the beast. The sigh of it brought Kiros out of the Blood Rage, long enough to realize what was going on.

"Get away!" he yelled.

He dodged back, avoiding the rain of man-sized rocks that pelleted down from the sky as the Behemoth cast its final attack, a Meteor spell. Taking a final leap, followed by a roll, Kiros looked back, and swore. His remaining two men hadn't been lucky enough to escape in time.

Putting down his two katals, Kiros pulled out the vid phone from where it was tucked behind his belt and switched the screen on. He pressed the speed dial number of his oldest friend.

"President Laguna here.... hey, Kiros!" said the man on the screen. He looked jovial as always, but there was something behind his eyes. A tired look, as if despite all his reasons to be happy, there were almost as many reasons not to be. Kiros could understand the wary look. He felt the same way in his bones.

"Laguna, I'm gonna be candid with you here."

"Uh oh. One of those moments?"

"Yeah. How much room in the budget do we have?"

"Lots. We're a rich country. The problem is, we just don't have all that much man-power."

Kiros winced. Laguna had walked right into what he was going to ask. And he regretted having to do this. He knew how much Laguna feared this confrontation. "About the lack of man-power. We could always hire--"

"I'm already calling Headmaster Cid. I know what I have to do."

"Oh." He hadn't expected Laguna to so quickly own up to the responsibility of his next step. Of course, what followed would have to be that 'talk' he so wanted to avoid.

"Yeah. So, how goes your patrol?"

"An additional twenty three monsters killed, among them, one Behemoth."

"Well, that's a relief. We want to get rid of the last of those. Odine says there are probably only six or seven left."

"I lost my squad, sir."

Laguna winced. "I'm sorry to hear about that Kiros. I'll assign you a new squad when you get back."

"Yeah. Maybe this one will know how to shoot," he said past a weak smile. The words felt right, but at the same time wrong. Was that really the way to honor them?

"Head on back to base, Kiros."

"No thanks, sir. I can handle the end of my patrol by myself. I'll finish it and then come back. You just make sure SeeD doesn't rip us off."

"Sure, thing. Don't get yourself killed out there, old friend."

"Don't bore yourself to death behind that desk."

Laguna chuckled, and the vid screen turned off. Kiros tucked the phone underneath his belt, then picked up his katals. Off in the distance, he heard a roar, from another Behemoth. He looked back, to where his former comrades lay, bloodied and broken, dead.

Without hesitation he charged towards the sound of the roar.

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. I struggled through a large portion of this chapter, trying to figure out where I was going with this. Not to mention, I was a bit pre-occupied with events in my other fic, Search For the Promised One (Sorry, guys, but that story takes precedence!).

The next chapter will be up in a few days. Squall & Rinoa. Now, to work on my other fic...


	4. Floodgate

Author's Note: 

Reno: And we're back, with another action-pakced chapter of "Fallen Knight"! 

Reeve: Uh... 

Reno: What is it now? 

Reeve: You do know that because Tyramir's writing this, there will be little action, and it will revolve more around character development, right? 

Reno: But... he... last chapter had Kiros fighting a Behemoth! 

Reeve: Indeed. And I was most amazed and entertained. Even so, he rarely does action. Chances are, this chapter will contain a wussy display of emotion by Rinoa as she pours her feelings out for Squall, who will then say-- 

Reno: Don't blow it for me! 

Reeve: Fine fine. I'll let you read it. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to anything Final Fantasy. I wish he owned the rights to me. Then he could actually kill me and put me out of my misery. I'm sick of working alongside this idiot. 

Reno: Wait. Were you going to say "whatever"? 

::Reeve slams his head against a wall repeatedly:: 

Chapter Four  
Floodgate

Rinoa entered the training grounds hesitantly, unsure of whether or not she should be there. While she was a welcomed guest of both Headmaster Cid and Commander Squall, she was still not a member of SeeD, and was unsure of the rules concerning her. Was she allowed in the training area? And if she was, was there some sort of rule about weapon procedure, or dress code, or what? Balamb Garden was beautiful, and it was filled with some of her closest friends, but she felt very insecure about the whole place. She didn't like the idea of fighting, ironic as it may be that she was a freedom fighter. And an academy dedicated to teaching people... no, _children_, the art of warfare seemed a little... repulsive. 

But this was her future now. She was a Sorceress. No. She was _the_ Sorceress, having taken in the power from two separate ones, one of which had taken the power from two as well. In her flowed the power of legend. Power that people would inevitably seek to use, to manipulate, to contain or destroy. Even Esthar, a country that had been a valued ally against Adel and Ultemicia, had attempted to put her into stasis so that she would never harm anyone. Without her Knight, without Squall, she would have been locked away forever. Only his love for her had saved her from eternal imprisonment among the stars. 

And now she had to remind him that he did indeed love her, and that should fight him and his loner ways. 

But she couldn't help remember the things he had said to her that morning. Could Quistis really be right? Could he just be pushing her away because he was afraid? Afraid of her leaving him? 

_Rinoa knocked on Squall's dorm room. A pleasant knock, with a beat from a song she had stuck in her head, very cheerful and bright, trying to banish away her own worry over Squall and the sickness he seemed to have picked up. _

She had asked Doctor Kadowaki to stop by Squall's room since he seemed reluctant to go see her himself, and after a small chat, the doctor had agreed to make one house call, but only this once. She was probably in there now, but why was no one answering? She knocked again, a little more loudly, but still kept the cheerful beat. 

Immediately the door swung open, and Doctor Kadowaki came out, an angry look on her face. 

"Doctor?" Rinoa asked, watching the woman slam the door behind her. 

Kadowaki looked as if she was about to rampage by, but stopped, turned to Rinoa, and managed a look of calm that almost looked convincing. 

"As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with Squall except for an attitude problem. The symptoms you described to me could just be a result from a bad case of vertigo, due to standing in a high place and looking down. It's my professional opinion that there's nothing physically wrong with him." 

"Thank you, Doctor." 

"You're welcome. Be careful in there. I've seen Squall anti-social before, but this... this is different." 

Rinoa thanked the Doctor again, turned, and opened the door. Walking in, she saw Squall sprawled out on his bed, dressed in his normal civilian clothes. His hair was drenched in sweat, and his eyes were closed, a thoughtful expression on his face. When she closed the door, he opened one eye, and looked at her, a small smile playing off of his lips. 

"Hello, dear. Have you come to scold me?" he said as he sat up. 

She frowned, then moved closer until she stood within arm's reach, just across from him. "Hi, Squall. How're you feeling?" 

"Much better." That same lazy smile was on his face, almost as if he were bored, trying to force amusement on himself. Suddenly, it flickered, turning into an expression of pain. Squall groaned, and grabbed his head. "Get out." 

"What?" Rinoa asked, shocked. 

"Get out! Now! I want you out!" 

"Squall? What's the matter?" 

"GET OUT, DAMMIT!!" 

Startled by the ferocity of his words, Rinoa backed away, retreating. When her back hit the door, she fumbled for the knob, opened it, and then moved out. 

Looking back on events, she decided that she had probably retreated too early. She shouldn't have left at all. But for a moment there, from the intensity of his voice, she had been sure that he was going to try to hurt her. The pure... malice that had been there, genuine anger, and a touch of hatred. Did he hate her? Or was he just trying to push her away? 

The hallway disappeared, turning into dense jungle. Here it was. The training area. There would be a lot of monsters in here, all trained to attack. She would have to be careful. She didn't think to Junction a GF before she had come, and had only brought her Shooting Star as a weapon. She almost audibly laughed when she remembered that if worse came to worst, she could always fall back on her Sorceress abilities. She kept forgetting about the benefits of that. 

She wandered about the lush flora of the training grounds, searching, until she came upon a clearing, where Squall sat cross-legged, his gunblade in his lap. He had his eyes closed, and that same, odd smile was on his face that had been there before. He sniffed once, then opened an eye lazily. "I knew you were there." 

She smiled, glad at his response. This was much different than he had been earlier. But at the same time... similar. The way that smile, almost mocking, sat on his face, the shape of it. It was completely unfamiliar to her. She had never seen him with that expression before, and now she had seen it twice in one day. 

"Are you feeling better now?" 

She wasn't sure what happened, but suddenly he was up, and standing directly in front of her, his face just an inch from hers. She remembered him being quick, agile, but not like that. She almost jumped back, but got a hold of herself and just smiled at him. He moved his face closer and nuzzled the side of her cheek. Giggling, she said, "Stop. I take it you're feeling a lot better?" 

He pulled away, a teasing look in his eyes. "Much better. I haven't felt this alive in a long while." 

"That's good to hear. About this morning..." 

"I apologize. I had a headache, and I wasn't acting myself. I must have eaten some bad food at the party last night." 

"So you're sure you're okay? No problems at all? No sickness, no emotional pushing away, none of that?" 

"No, nothing wrong at all. I'm fine now." 

She nodded, still a little worried, but put on a good face. "Okay. Well, everyone just had lunch, but do you want to catch dinner with the group later? The whole gang's a little worried--" 

"And they have no right to be," he said. "I'm fine. And I'm tired of all of you people prying into my affairs. I have a right to choose when to be alone. And I'm choosing now." 

His words hit her. Quistis was right. He was trying to push them away. She had to be careful about this. She wanted to let him know that she'd never leave him. Not for anything. 

"If you want to be alone, that's okay. But I'll always be here. I'll never leave unless you really want me to. And I won't even go easily then." 

His new expression returned, that lazy, almost condescending smile. It was a seductive look, but one that said that he really didn't care if it was or not. He moved a hand up, and lightly touched a lock of her hair, taking it between his fingers. 

"How sweet," he said. "But you don't have to do that. If I don't want to be with you, then I won't be with you. Now, go away. I want to be alone right now." 

"No." 

The smiled widened, but it didn't touch Squall's eyes. "Do you think I'm joking? That this is a suggestion? Shoo. Go away. I don't want you near me. I'm content at this moment to be alone. Maybe we'll get together later and get physical." 

"Excuse me?" His words shocked her. Was he trying to say that he only wanted her for sex? She expected this kind of attitude from Irvine, maybe Seifer, but never Squall. 

"What? Did you want me to tell you that I loved you and that I wanted to be with you forever? That if you called, I'd come?" He released the lock of hair and moved his face against hers, close enough that their noses touched. "You want me. And I want you. But don't let love and promises ruin it. I'll come to claim you when I'm ready." 

He planted a tender kiss on her lips. She wanted to pull away, but something inside her responded, something primal and unfamiliar. Power flowed through her veins, charging her with electricity. A hum settled through her, making her tingle. 

When Squall broke off the kiss, she felt dizzy. She stepped back, determined to get away from him. He gave her that same smile again, and chuckled softly as she fled. 

Author's Note: 

Sorry this took so long. A lot of things kept interfering, and I kept getting distracted. Ah well. 


	5. Shadows In the School

Author's Note:

Reno: Woo hoo!

Reeve: What now?

Reno: Check it out.

Reeve: Check what out?

Reno: We're here, together again!

Reeve: I noticed. So, are we disclaiming for another chapter of Fallen Knight?

Reno: You bet! Tyramir's finally updating!

Reeve: My god!

Reno: I know. I'm so excited, I think I'll say the disclaimer today! Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy or any of its characters!

Reeve: You hate Tyramir. You hate doing the disclaimers. So when he comes out of hiding, you decide to say the disclaimer to celebrate?

Reno: ... Shut up.

Chapter Five

Shadows In the School

Selphie wandered the halls of Garden aimlessly, a smile on her face. Her eyes were half-closed, day dreaming of the night she and Irvine would spend together tonight. Memories of his abashed attitude as he had finally come out and said he loved her floated in her mind, like a butterfly on a soft breeze. She hummed to herself, and almost danced as she walked.

Tonight would be special. It would be their night.

So she hummed and skipped her way down the hall, oblivious to everyone and everything around her. She was happy. But then, to say that Selphie was happy, was to say that grass was green.

She absently wondered what tonight would be like. She'd always thought it would be special, or magical, or something. But something told her that was naive, even for her. Her innocence and inexperience were probably going to get the better of her tonight. She absently wondered if Irvine had ever...?

Catching herself, Selphie realized she didn't want to go down _that_ line of thought. The way Irvine bragged about all the 'ladies he'd been with' was the talk of Balamb Garden. Being the new student in Garden, and having participated in the defeat of Ultemicia had given the Galbadian sharpshooter a certain celebrity. Coupled with his penchant for spreading stories about how much the 'Galbadian ladies couldn't get enough' of him, he was the hero of most of the boys at Balamb, and desired by a fair percentage of the girls.

And he was all hers.

But part of her couldn't help be jealous. She had him, but who knew how many other girls had a hold or a tie onto him as well? She'd caught him flirting constantly, and even making overt advances a time or two. But a part of her just kept reminding herself, 'That's just Irvine for you.'

She came out of her thoughts just in time to avoid a head on collision with a wall. Frowning, she looked around, wondering where she was. She looked back the way she had come, and saw Quistis' old classroom. Her smile returned. She was on the second floor, right by...

She turned slightly, and saw the door that led outside to the balcony. It was a really great view, and a little fresh air would clear her head, might even be good for her. She opened it, and stepped outside. Sunlight shone down on her, and she waved her hands up in the air, welcoming it. The door almost shut behind her, and for a second, she panicked, afraid she might get locked out. She held it open for a minute, and fiddled with the door mechanism.

"Darn!" she yelled, not being able to figure it out. The girl shrugged, then unhooked her nanchuku from the small loop in the back of her dress and placed them on the ground between the door and the wall, effectively turning them into a doorstop.

A grin lit her face, and she turned to the balcony rail, where she leaned over and took in the view. Beneath were the endless depths of the sea, all blue and shifting. In the Garden's wake, a pod of dolphins leaped from the waters, then splashed down.

"WOO HOO!" Selphie yelled, excited at seeing them. She wished Irvine were there to see it with her. Anyone to share this with would be preferable. But for now, she was by herself, so she decided to make the best of it.

She basked in the sun, gloried in the sea air, and marveled at the upcoming coast line. She recognized it instantly, the blue-white peeks of Esthar in the distance. And the Garden was headed towards them. She gave a small start, and was brought out of her reverie. They were going back to Esthar? Why? Were they invited? Were they expected? Were they going to get blown out of the sky because they were intruding, making a very large KABOOM before they went out?

It was then that she heard the sound of raised voices. Turning towards the door, she heard two men arguing, the voices familiar.

"Rinoa was really upset with you," the first one said.

"So?"

"You really hurt her feelings. She was crying, Squall!"

Squall's voice had a mocking tone to it. "And I suppose you enjoyed that. Her running away from me, and directly into your arms. Tell me, did you enjoy it? You're normally such a voyeur, always there for the events, but never participating."

"What? I... no. What are you talking about?"

"Don't play with me, Nida. You know what I'm telling you. You made SeeD. And you expected to be someone. Now, you have to settle to be something. The something that crusades the cause of a weeping girl, and confronts the lion. Tell me, Nida, do you really think you're ready to face the lion?"

Selphie moved closer to the door, and peered through the small crack. She caught a glimpse of Nida pushing the commander into a wall, a look of frustration on his face.

"So," Squall said, "you think you are. And over a few tears that mean nothing? How foolish of you."

The sounds of a scuffle ensued, and the two figures were pushed from Selphie's line of sight. She knew she should grab her nanchucks and try to break it up, but something in the tone of Squall's voice made her desperately afraid. She had only felt so afraid before once, and that was when she had fought Ultemicia. She stood there, frozen, unable to move as she heard the sound of punches being exchanged. Finally, there was a grunt, and Squall staggered back into view, holding his lip.

"Not bad," he admitted. "I didn't expect you to put up a fight."

There was an animalistic, feral gleam in his eyes. Squall's hand dropped from his face to the gunblade at his side.

"What are you--?" Nida asked, his voice filled with panic.

The weapon came out, and lunged forward. Selphie took a step back, terrified. What was happening? Why was Squall...?

There was a gurgling sound, and in that instant, Selphie knew that Nida was dead. And that Squall had murdered him in cold blood.


	6. Leaving

Author's Note:

Reeve: Wow. Tyramir killed off a character!

Reno: It was only Nida. Who cares about him? Besides, he's killed off characters before. Remember?

Reeve: Oh right. I suppose a couple people did die in SFtPO. But not you.

Reno: Tee hee. I know. It was awesome.

Reeve: I hate Tyramir so very much right now. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy or any of its characters. Now try to enjoy the story.

Chapter Six

Leaving

"So that's it? Just like that?" Zell asked, his tone louder and harsher than he had intended. He winced, upset that he might be coming off as a bad guy.

"Yeah, Zell. Just like that," Rinoa responded, her face tear-stained and covered with a self-mocking expression.

The two of them were in Rinoa's quarters, a small guest room just outside the main SeeD barracks. It was larger than a student's room, but not quite the size of an actual SeeD's room. The living area had barely been used. Rinoa had barely had any time to settle into her new surroundings, and already she was packed up and ready to leave. Her bags were on her bed, awaiting someone to pick them up and move them off the Garden, along with her.

"But... why?" the martial artist asked. He was completely bewildered by the situation. Just a few minutes ago Nida had come to him and told him to look after Rinoa, while he went to 'deal with something.' Zell had had no idea what to expect, and Rinoa's preparation for departure came as a shock.

"Because this is a school that teaches people to hurt one another. Because Timber needs me. And because Squall..." she choked back a sob.

Realization hit the martial artist, and he sympathized with her. Squall was never the best of people. He was the best of warriors, the best of leaders, the best of many things... but as a person, he left a lot to be desired. He wasn't as bad as someone like Seifer, but he certainly wasn't someone like Cid.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rinoa. I ... I thought things would work out between you two. I didn't think Squall would mess it up. I figured he'd change. But... are you sure? I was sure..."

She looked up into his eyes, hers filled with tears, and nodded fiercely. "We're finished. Or I think we are. I need time to think. I already spoke to Cid. We're stopping on the old rail line before we reach Esthar so I can get dropped off, then I'll be headed for Timber. I might come back. I... I just need time."

"Okay. I get that. Time. Yeah. But, you are coming back, right? I mean, we're your friends."

A sigh came from Rinoa, and her head slumped down. She glanced at her bags, then looked about the room, then shifted her gaze back to Zell. "I'll come back. One day, I will. But not until I'm ready."

And with that, the girl grabbed her bags and hurried past Zell before he could say anything further. He turned to watch her leave the room, then stepped out into the hallway, and watched her flee down the hallway. Not quite running, but most definitely not walking. She was determined to get away from Balamb. Away from Squall. What had Squall done to her that had produced this mess? Zell's hands clenched into fists.

He really wanted to hit something.

"What was that about?" a voice asked from behind.

Zell whirled about, and took a step back, almost instinctively taking up a fighting stance and preparing to strike the person who had snuck up on him. When he realized it was only Irvine, he let out an exasperated grunt, and then slumped forward.

"Woah there, Spaz Master," the cowboy said, a grin on his face. "No need to get all jumpy around little ol' me. What's goin' on? Why're you so upset?"

Zell didn't like Irvine. He couldn't understand why most people tolerated him, and why most of the girls always seemed to fawn over him. It never made any sense. The puffed up sharpshooter was nothing but an overdressed man-whore. Zell felt sorry for Selphie. She seemed so caught up with this Galbadian fool, and he was almost certain that Irvine was already, or would in the future if he hadn't by now, cheating on her.

"Rinoa's leaving."

Irvine nodded, as if the statement made perfect sense, and was expected. "Figured as much. Girl like that's got too much love in her, and gave it all away to the wrong chump. Thought Squall would break her heart. Don't get me wrong, I like ol' Fearless, but a guy like that? You gotta realize that he's not in the business of keeping people close to him."

Zell almost agreed with him, but found himself getting angry instead. Irvine had expected this? And he hadn't said anything to anyone? This might have been prevented? It occurred to Zell that Irvine might just be blowing smoke, trying to act like some sort of know it all. He grunted in response.

"Too bad, too," Irvine said, continuining with his little speech. "Rinoa, she's one fine piece o'..." He stopped abruptly, coming quickly to attention. Zell turned to see what had brought him up short.

Selphie was running towards them, looking for all the world like everything that had meant something to her had just shattered.

"Hey, Selph," Irvine called. "What's up?"

Zell wanted to snap at Irvine. Was he completely blind? Something had obviously upset the girl. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

She hurried past Zell and dove into Irvine's chest. The cowboy's arms encircled her, and she let out a wail. "It's Nida... and Squall."

"What about them?" Irvine asked.

But Zell already knew. Nida had gone to confront Squall over Rinoa. What had happened to make Selphie this upset, though?

"Nida came... and I saw..." The girl had trouble getting the words out between sobs. "They argued... and... and then Nida... and Squall... drew his gunblade... and then... so much blood... and..."

The words straightened Zell's back, and hist fists immediately clenched again. His senses sprang to alertness, and it was then that he noticed that Selphie's arms were covered in blood. What had happened? But he knew. Somehow, he knew.

Separating Selphie from Irvine was difficult, both physically and emotionally. Zell know that Selphie needed Irvine to hold her right then, but he also knew what had to be done.

"Selphie," he said as he managed to pry her away, "what did Squall do? Where's Nida?"

"Squall... he... Nida's dead!"

The words were like a blow to the pit of Zell's stomach. Irvine let out a sound, almost like a grunt, as if he, too, had been struck.

"Where?"

"Second floor... outside Quistis' class room, near the balcony."

"Listen, Selphie... I need you to get to Xu. Or Quistis. Whoever you see first. Tell her what happened. Can you do that?"

The girl choked out a sob, then lifted her head and looked Zell in the eye. She nodded, a brave look coming over her. She was distraught, most definitely in shock. He should be sending her to Doctor Kadowaki, not to find Xu. But he would have to be quick about this.

"Go, then."

Selphie nodded again, then turned and hurried toward the elevator. When she was on it and the shaft began moving upward, Zell turned to his companion.

"Irvine..."

"Way ahead of you," the cowboy said, pulling his rifle from underneath his coat. "I'm already loaded up. We waiting on anyone else?"

"No time," Zell responded, shaking his head. "We have to find and restrain Squall before he can hurt anyone else."

Irvine nodded, and then the two of them were also hurrying down the hallway, ready to fight an opponent deadlier than any either had ever faced before, a man they dared called friend.

Author's Notes:

Hmmm... Zell may have been a bit out of character here. Throughout FF8, he was one of the few characters who actually grew somewhat. At the beginning of the game, Squall refused to trust Zell to command any mission (See the assassination attempt on Edea), but towards the end, he matured and calmed down enough to be entrusted to protect Edea. I'm not sure if I took the next step in his growth cautiously enough, though, or if I just leaped and brought this out of nowhere. But right now, as a writer, I realized that Zell would have to be the heart of the group, just as Quistis will now have to be the brain. But I'm getting ahead of myself. See you next time.

And I changed it from 'pull Squall down' to 'restrain Squall'. So don't worry. Irvine's only planning on shooting him in the leg or something.


	7. Lion Hunt

Author's Note:

Reno: And so we're back, from outerspace!

Reeve: Stop. Now.

Reno: Somethingsomethingsomething sad look upon your face!

Reeve: If you're going to sing that wretched song, learn the words first. Please.

Reno: I should have changed that stupid lock... uh...

Reeve: Made you give me back the key. If I knew you'd come back to bother me.

Reno: Riiiight. How'd you know?

Reeve: You'd be surprised at how well I relate to that song.

Reno: So you'll survive?

Reeve: Most likely. I can't say the same about Nida, though.

Reno: Ha! That's a good one! Think there'll be a bigger body count?

Reeve: It's Tyramir. I doubt it. But then again, he labeled this fic a Tragedy.

Reno: I know. Maybe that means most of the cast will survive?

Reeve: Ug. Don't bring up that possibility. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy or any of its characters.

Chapter Seven

Lion Hunt

More than a thousand things were running through Zell's mind as he raced from the elevator into the hallway, Irvine right behind him. What was happening? Was Nida really dead? Why had Squall done it? What was wrong with him? Would Selphie be all right?

A thousand things, indeed. But first and foremost was a ball of ice in his stomach, a firebrand in his mind.

Even is Squall had done it, would he and Irvine be enough to be able to capture him?

He tried not to think about. He tried to push it out of his mind. He tried to ignore the possibilities. But it always came back to him. Out of the people who had faced off against Ultemicia, Squall had always stood first and foremost, a being who was nearly a force of nature, an awesome destructive force wielding a gunblade in one hand, and iron determination forged of the greatest courage Zell had ever seen in the other. There were few who could stand up to Squall in battle. None at all that could defeat him that Zell knew of.

And he and Irvine were going to face off against him.

Irvine didn't seem to mind at all. Even running down the hallway, he seemed relaxed, calm, cool. Not really bothered at all. Zell envied that. The only thing that really bothered Irvine was getting turned down by a girl, which almost never happened.

They flew by Quistis' old class room, then rounded the corner. Two doors led outside, one closed, the other partially open. It was the emergency exit, a door that wasn't supposed to be opened at all. Of Nida or Squall there was no sign.

"No one here," Irvine said, trying to make the statement sound anything but obvious. "Think Selph might have been exagerating? That Squall and Nida maybe just had a little tussle then went their seperate ways?"

Zell shook his head firmly. "She's a bit flighty and whimsical at times, but she's a warrior, just like us. She knows what a fatal wound is."

He scratched his chin, thinking. If Squall had killed Nida, there'd be blood, or some kind of magical damage to the area. Wait. Magic. Did Squall have any of the GFs Junctioned? With the defeat of Ultemicia, Cid had banned the use of the Guardian Forces because of the ill effects they caused to the human brain.

"I have an idea," Zell said, quickly retreating back to Quistis' old class room. He didn't wait for Irvine, but heard the man following after.

Once inside the classroom, Zell dove to his old desk, turned on the computer, and began a query for all GFs. After a minute, the desk signaled that all GFs were accounted for, and that no one had Junctioned any since Ultemicia's defeat. Heaving out a sigh of relief, Zell began to punch more keys, and started hacking into the system.

"What're you doing?" Irvine asked.

"Getting us some weapons."

"How?"

"I'm bypassing the computer's security protocols and making it allow us to have GFs, but us only."

"You can do that?" The cowboy sounded surprised.

Zell shrugged. "Sure. I mean, I've never done it before, but I figure it can be. I just hope Quistis didn't go berserk trying to make this system impenetrable."

"What? Afraid she's made it too tough for you?"

"Nah. Afraid of the ego blow it'll give her when she's found out I just cracked it in under ten minutes." Zell smirked, then looked over to Irvine. "Computer's still a little touchy, and I couldn't do too much without setting off a dozen alarms, but I've managed to get us one GF apiece."

"All right! Hook me up with Eden or Bahamut."

"No can do. Someone, probably Xu, made those and a couple others completely off limits. I can't even get to them. I can, however..." He hit a few more buttons, and two draw points in the room began to glow purple.

"Leviathan's yours, and I've got Ifrit. Sound good?"

Irvine shrugged, then said, "Don't matter much to me if I can't have the real cool toys. Which draw point is mine?"

"Left."

Zell walked up to his draw point, and focusing, pulled the essence of the GF from the swirl of energy into his own self. A grip of warmth held onto his mind, like a hand clasping the back of his head gently, but refusing to let go. His scalp began to tingle, and his hair actually ached. Junctioning a GF was always a little different each time. Or so he thought. The affects on the user's memory were always subtle, and tended to erase memories if not outright change some.

He felt his muscles surge as the GF's power flooded through his body, and his stamina increase. He felt like he could run a hundred mile marathon and not even break a sweat. Maybe... just maybe he could take on Squall.

The sound of clapping filled the room, and both Zell and Irvine whirled about to the location of the noise. In the doorway stood Squall, a lazy smirk on his face, his eyes hinting at a predatorial gleam. His gunblade hung at his side, still covered in blood.

"I was waiting for you, Zell. Know-It-All-Zell. Waiting for you to try to deal with me yourself. To unlock the GFs. My thanks."

He didn't think. He rarely ever took the time to. Odd thing, too, considering he was considered a smart man in some quarters. Always rash and impulsive. Zell leaped through the air, sailing over Irvine, one fist lashing out, ready to strike Squall down before he even had the time to draw his gunblade. The fist lashed out, a blur of motion as it sailed towards the loner's face. And just like that, his fist stopped, caught by Squall's own hand.

"How-?!" Zell managed, before Squall twisted his arm around, the sound of muscle and bone snapping as it moved in an impossible angle. Zell let out a scream between clenched teeth. He closed his eyes, and willed for the pain to end.

How had Squall caught the blow? With a GF Junctioned, he was faster and stronger than a human could ever possibly be. And yet Squall had not only matched Zell's speed, but he had overpowered him.

Squall released him, letting the martial artist fall to the ground, clutching his arm. Zell rolled to his side just in time to see Irvine point his gun directly at Squall and fire. A shout of panic overwhelmed his cry of pain as shotgun pellets raced through the air, flying at their once-friend. Was Irvine insane?

Just before the pellets hit Squall, a blue shield raised upwards, catching the offending projectiles, and sending them scattering away. A Protect spell! But how? Squall didn't have a GF Junctioned! How could he cast magic?

"I don't know how you did that, but let's see how you handle a GF!" Irvine said.

A look of concentration came over the cowboy's face, and a green aura began to surround him as he began to summon Leviathan.

"Too slow," Squall said. His gunblade whipped out, and he lunged directly at Irvine's chest. The cowboy lowered his rifle just in time to deflect the gunblade. Zell saw Irvine's eyes widen in surprise as the gunblade slid off course from striking his heart and went directly into his gut instead. A shot sounded as Squall's weapon released a bullet to accompany the sword blow.

Zell was back on his feet in an instant. His right hand was useless, but he still had his left and two able feet. One foot struck out, catching Squall in the back of his right leg, followed by a second blow to the back of his head.

A roar sounded out from Squall, like that of an animal, and he tore his gunblade from Irvine's belly, who fell to the floor. The Commander of Garden rounded on Zell.

_This is it_, Zell thought. _I'm going to die. _

Something cracked, a small lightning bolt, but not. In a split second, Squall's gunblade was wrapped in Quistis' whip. The two combatants turned to see the blond-haired instructor standing in the doorway. She gave one firm yank, and Squall's weapon came out of his hand, and fell to her feet.

"Enough!" she yelled. "Surrender, Squall. You've been disarmed."

All traces of anger faded from Squall's face, and that arrogant, lazy look returned. "Do you think you can stop me, Instructor? Even without my weapon, I'm more than the two of you can handle."

"Maybe," she said, stepping forward. And from behind her, dozens of students and SeeDs alike followed her. "But maybe together, all of us can stop you."

Squall's eyes tightened, as if considering. And then he was a blur of motion, running, but not towards the door. He pushed past Zell, and raced for the back of the class room.

"Stop him!" Xu yelled.

But it was too late. Squall dove, crashed through the window, and disappeared. Zell raced after him, stopping himself just at the window, and looked outside. Squall was on the train tracks leading to Esthar. The SeeD gave Zell a small bow, and then turned, loping with great strides towards Esthar.

"Irvine!" Selphie cried.

Zell turned to see Selphie hunching over Irvine's form, a small crowd already surrounding him.

"Is he...?" He left the question up in the air, not sure if he could finish it. This was all his fault, racing off to confront Squall, trying to be the hero of the hour.

"No," Quistis said. "But we have to get him to Doctor Kadowaki, quickly. Or he won't last."

Xu stepped from the crowd, moving in towards Irvine. "I just paged Kadowaki now. She said not to move him until she gets here, or we could kill him ourselves." She looked as if she were about to say something else, then stopped, looking directly at Zell. "We'll talk later. In the mean time, have that arm looked at."

Zell nodded, too numb to say anything in return. He knew what Xu would want to talk to him about. He had acted impulsively, and without thought or consequence of his actions. And Irvine could very well die because of it.

Xu would expect his resignation from SeeD.


End file.
